


A Romance of Plastic and Stuffing

by Stacysmash



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Banter, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Innocent romance, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, More characters to be added, More tags to be added, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Toy Story AU, aged down Hinata, eventual established relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-06-30 08:20:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15747888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stacysmash/pseuds/Stacysmash
Summary: Initially, it was difficult for Sheriff Kuroo to deal with the introduction of a new toy to Shoyou's room and replaced him as number one. But when he finally gives Sawamura Space Ranger a chance, his feelings change quickly from friendship to something more.*This is the beginning to my submission for Kurodai Weekend!*Ch 1: IntroductionCh 2: Aug 31 Getting Sick/InjuredCh 3: Sept 1 Affection/DatesCh 4: Sept 2 Travel





	1. Villains and Heroes

**Author's Note:**

> For Kurodai Weekend I'm doing a continuing story, the first chapter being an introduction. If you don't have Tumblr, but would like to participate in kurodai weekend, I've listed the dates and prompts in the summary! If you do submit something for it, just make sure you post it to the collection

A light breeze flowed through the open window of Shoyou’s dark room, blowing in the curtains with glow-in-the-dark planets and stars printed all over them. Sheriff Kuroo sat on Shoyou’s desk and glared at them after they slapped the back of his head. He swatted at the billowing material and shuffled over to the edge of the desk to peek around a stack of notebooks.

Shoyou was stretched out over his bed, a tendril of drool slipping out from his mouth. His face was lit up by a soft green glow coming from the spacesuit of Sawamura Space Ranger, who seemed quite comfortable laying on the pillow with Shoyou’s arm laying over him.

Kuroo winced and shuffled back around the notebooks and leaned against them with a sigh. _He_ used to be the one Shoyou chose to sleep with. Now he struggled to find one comfortable spot in the room to rest, and he never realized how cold the room was without someone next to him. He shuffled his boots closer and hugged his knees, dropping his face into them as his hat slipped further back on his head.

What was so special about Sawamura, anyway? He glows-in-the-dark, so what? He’s got buttons to press instead of an old-fashioned pull-string like Kuroo. _Psht, buttons lack aesthetic_ , Kuroo mentally grumbled. And so what if he has wings… Okay, that was actually pretty cool, and Kuroo had to admit the first time they sprung out from his pack his heart skipped a beat.

But _he_ was Sheriff Kuroo! No one could ride a wild bronco like he could. And his stuffed limbs were way more flexible than Sawamura’s swively arms and legs. Where was that hard-assed space ranger when Shoyou lost his first teeth? Or when he ran his first errand for his mother. Nowhere, because it was Kuroo he took along to keep himself brave, and Kuroo couldn’t have been prouder of his sunshine boy.

Kuroo let out another sigh and eventually fell asleep with a deep ache in his chest. When he woke up, his head hurt from having his knees embedding themselves into his forehead all night. He rubbed the sore spot and peered around the room brightened with the morning light.

Shoyou’s room was in disarray, the bed torn apart and bits of his pajamas strewn about. He must have already left for school; the thought left a bitter taste in Kuroo’s mouth since he never used to leave without saying goodbye to Kuroo first. He shook his head and straightened his hat. That was no attitude of a law-abiding sheriff, and even if he wasn’t number one in Shoyou’s heart anymore, he still had work to do around the room.

He leaned over the edge of the desk and watched as various toys around the room were stretching their legs and going about their business. He spotted Tendou lounging on Shoyou’s bedpost, wiggling his large, troll feet as Ushijima Strong Man combed his bright red hair from behind. Bokuto was climbing up the side of the bookcase on a bit of jump rope hanging down from the top. Kuroo cringed, wondering what the guy was getting into since the ninja action figure seemed to take his role a little too seriously.

He was about to hop off the desk and try to coax him down but paused when he saw Sawamura calling up to him. Bokuto stopped and hung from the neon rope but couldn’t quite hear what the space ranger was saying. With a quick inspection of the bookcase, Sawamura hopped up onto the first shelf with ease and quickly ascended to the next one. Kuroo couldn’t tell what he was saying to Bokuto, but the ninja laughed and swung off the rope with his arms outstretched. Daichi caught him and swung him up onto the bookshelf beside him and they settled down between some stacked magazines and some manga to have a pleasant conversation.

Kuroo growled in his throat and plopped back on his butt, leaving his legs to dangle off the desk. He propped his elbows on his thighs and dropped his chin into his palms, glaring across the room as he watched Sawamura once again take his place. Of course, Sawamura had quite a different effect on Bokuto than Kuroo did. Kuroo did tend to get involved in his shenanigans more often than diffusing them, and even though it was becoming well known that Sawamura can get quite competitive he typically had a way of reigning in the rowdiest of toys.

Kuroo was stirred from his thoughts as he heard an approaching rumbling noise and immediately calmed down. He looked up to see his best friend Kenma sauntering toward him before rolling onto the desk with his paws in the air. Kenma was Shoyou’s oldest stuffed animal, a calico cat with big amber eyes, the kind with a marble in his head to imitate the sound of purring.

“Kuro, stop looking so angry. There’s nothing you can do about it,” He admonished Kuroo as he stretched with a yawn.

“I know! It’s just… why does everyone like him so much?”

“He’s nice, mature, good looking— “

“Okay, okay, I get it. But I’m those things too!”

Kenma scrunched up his nose at him, and Kuroo crossed his arms and turned away from his friend with a huff.

“They’re also just being welcoming. It’s hard being the new toy. I actually think you’d like him if you gave him a chance.”

“It’s not like I hate him.”

“I know.”

“Kenma… I’ll always be your best friend, right?”

Kenma huffed out a laugh and batted Kuroo’s arm with his paw.

“You’re an idiot. Of course, you’ll always be my best friend. I like Sawamura, but he’d never replace you. If you got to know him I’d be more worried about him replacing me.”

“Hah???” Kuroo squawked at him, and Kenma rolled his eyes.

“Just go talk to him. If you start alienating him, you’ll really become a villain in everyone’s eyes.”

Kuroo winced as if Kenma had slapped him across the face. It wasn’t just that his role as the hero of Shoyou’s imaginings was snatched away; he had been suddenly branded the bad guy. Kuroo wasn’t stupid, he knew with his menacing grin and wild hair that he didn’t fit the typical bill for being a hero. Sawamura was a much more likely candidate with his neat haircut, honest smile, warm brown eyes.

 But that had never mattered to Shoyou throughout his youth, and though Kuroo could be rather mischievous at times he was truly a good toy at heart and loved it that Shoyou saw that in him. To have Shoyou change how he felt about Kuroo to the point he became the evil villain, and that the others might also see him in that light, was too much to bear.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” Kenma muttered, rolling to the other side so his back rested against Kuroo’s leg. “You’re not a villain. You care a lot about everybody, and everyone cares about you. Just don’t let your rivalry with Sawamura put a dent in that.”

Kuroo smiled and leaned over to scratch his friend behind the ears. The marble inside Kenma’s head began to roll around and Kuroo bit his lip to keep a laugh from bursting out. Kenma refused to acknowledge it as a purr, thinking it as insignificant as stuffing and far more irritating, but Kuroo knew better.

“You’re right. Thanks, Kenma.”

The rest of the day, Kuroo made a solid effort to be his usual self with his friends and immediately he was amazed at how quickly the ache in his chest melted away. He realized that pouting by himself made him feel far worse than Sawamura ever could. He was also successful at avoiding the space ranger and could almost completely ignore his presence in Shoyou’s room. _Almost_ …

“Sheriff Kuroo?” A husky voice said behind him when he was observing the Dateko blocks building an impressive fortress. He turned to see Sawamura standing behind him, a genuine smile spreading on his face. “I was wondering if you could help me with something since you’re the official law enforcement around here.”

Kenma’s words rolled around in his head as if _he_ had a marble in his brain, but he found it difficult jumping straight into a jovial friendship with the other toy. His signature smirk spread up one cheek as he faced the space ranger and leaned over him to show off his superior height.

“Of course! I’m here to serve. Need me to reach something for you Sawamura?”

The smile slipped off Sawamura’s face, and Kuroo leered even more at the way his eyebrows furrowed. _My, my… what a pleasant reaction. I wonder how much further I can push him?_

“No, I can reach things just fine. One of the toys from the other room is here, and I wasn’t sure of the best way to help him.”

“You mean from Natsu’s room? Who would need our… ugh,” Kuroo muttered as he spotted the Oikawa doll lounging against the door jamb, wearing nothing but a pair of loud swim trunks and sunglasses.

“Yoo-hoo! Sheriff-chan!” Oikawa called, sending his movie star smile across the room. Kuroo groaned and slid his hat further back on his head, sending a spray of black hair to pop out from underneath it.

“Alright, you better let me handle this guy,” Kuroo assured Sawamura as he clapped his knuckles on his helmet and sauntered over to the open doorway. “What do you want Oikawa?”

“Hmph, a politer greeting would be nice,” Oikawa huffed as he slipped his sunglasses into his perfectly wavy hair, so he could narrow his eyes at Kuroo. “Several of my accessories have gone missing, and I think one of _your_ toys have been taking them.”

“They’re not _my_ toys, we’re all Shoyou’s toys. And why would someone want your accessories? They’re really tacky.”

“They are not! They’re trendy,” Oikawa snapped back.

“Yeah, like ten years ago.”

“Natsu-chan has great taste, don’t insult my kid.”

“I didn’t insult her, I just said nobody would want your tacky accessories.”

“Well, even if they didn’t want them, it doesn’t mean they didn’t take them out of spite.”

“Okay, okay,” Kuroo said as he waved his hands to get Oikawa to calm down. “Oikawa, do you have anyone who would be holding a grudge against you at the moment?”

“Tendou’s been picking on me lately. I bet that dumb troll tried to slip his fat feet into my shoes.”

“Ok, that was my next question. You’re missing tacky shoes and what else?”

Oikawa released his breath between his teeth like a hiss.

“I’m missing my bag that has my comb in it.”

“Shoes, purse, anything else?”

“It’s not a purse, it’s a bag! It’s larger and I can sling across my chest.”

“Have you seen Shoyou’s mother’s purse? She could fit an army in that thing.”

“Fine! My shoes, my bag, and by default my comb as well. That’s all I’m missing at the moment.”

“Alright, I’ll do some investigating and let you know if anything turns up.”

The movie star smile spread back on Oikawa’s lips.

“Thank you, I knew I could rely on you Sheriff-chan! Byeeeeee!” He sang as he wiggled his fingers in goodbye as he slipped back out into the hallway. Kuroo pasted on a fake smile and waved back before rolling his eyes.

“What did he want?” Sawamura said as he joined him, craning his head to peek out into the hallway.

“Ah, nothing much. Some of his accessories have gone missing, and he seems to think one of us stole it.”

“Doesn’t everyone’s accessories go missing from time to time?” Sawamura asked with a grin, and Kuroo snorted.

“Exactly. I lost my hat for an entire month once, and wouldn’t you know Shoyou found it in Natsu’s room. On _that_ Oikawa doll’s head, in fact. And he’s calling one of us a thief. Well, better get started asking around.”

“Would you like help?”

Kuroo pursed his lips as he regarded the space ranger, staring up at him with those honest brown eyes. A part of him wanted to prove his own worth to the other toy and refuse, but he knew in his stuffing-filled gut that wouldn’t help his situation out one bit. He hummed and glanced around the room.

“Oh! If you just want to have a glance around the darker areas to see if they were just misplaced, that would help. Since you glow-in-the-dark, and all. I’ll start by asking if anyone’s seen them.”

Sawamura perked up and gave him an assertive nod.

“Sounds good! Once I’ve scoured the perimeter and black-out sections of the room, I’ll check back with you and give my report.”

Kuroo covered his mouth and coughed to cover the laughter bubbling through his throat. When Sawamura had first shown up, it had taken some convincing to make him realize he was a toy and not an actual space ranger. Some of his habits died hard apparently as he gave Kuroo a proper salute and spinning on his heel Sawamura snuck along the wall to inspect Shoyou’s messy closet as if he were invading an enemy’s fortress.

“Oh! He’s missing his shoes and purse!” He called after him and chuckled as he turned away to find his first interrogation victim. He had to place his palms against his cheeks to force the smile away and replace it with a more serious expression. He hated to admit it, but there was something very likable about the plucky space ranger.

His first victims were Tendou and Ushijima who were critiquing the fortitude of Dateko’s newest tower.

“Have either of you seen Oikawa’s ugly shoes and man-purse?”

Tendou giggled at the question and Ushijima frowned as he brought his finger up to tap his lips.

“I have not seen it. Was anything valuable in the purse?”

“Just his comb. He thought maybe Tendou took it.”

The redhead cackled even harder, plopping onto the floor as he hugged his stomach.

“There’s no way his dinky comb would get through my glorious hair! Have you seen the size of my comb?”

“He thinks you may have taken it just to piss him off.”

“I wouldn’t do that!” He protested, and Kuroo lifted an eyebrow. “Honest! Taking his stuff would be the lamest prank. I’d be more likely to put glue on his comb or something like that. Oooooooh then Natsu-chan would have to cut it out of his hair,” Tendou whispered, his eyes bright as they drifted off to stare into space, and Kuroo cringed at the dangerous line of thinking he drifted off from.

“Tendou, that would be just as hurtful to Natsu as it would be Oikawa,” Ushijima scolded, and Tendou winced.

“Alright, I’ll do something less harmful, but hopefully just as hilarious.”

Ushijima nodded his agreement and turned back to Kuroo.

“Let Oikawa know that if he is unable to find his comb, I would be happy to style his hair for him.”

“Wow, that’s generous of you, big guy. I won’t _hesitate_ to let him know that,” Kuroo said as his voice bounced with giggles, imagining Oikawa’s appalled face at the suggestion. “Well, if you guys see them let me know.”

He heard a crash near the toy chest, and he craned his head around to see Bokuto’s bottom half hanging out of it while he tossed random things over his shoulder.

“Bokuto? Buddy, what are you doing?” Kuroo asked, narrowly missing one of Shoyou’s socks being pelted at him.

“I can’t find them anywhere!” He cried, his voice muffled from inside the box. Kuroo was immediately intrigued; could more stuff actually be missing? Perhaps there really was a thief around.

“What are you missing?”

“My Shuriken. They’re not where I had them last.”

Kuroo groaned and yanked on the bottom of Bokuto’s pants to urge him to come down.

“They’re not missing, Akaashi hid them from you, remember?”

“Huh? When?” He asked as he hopped down from the chest.

“Last week when you nearly murdered him. He’d given you several warnings to be careful.”

“Aw, man, now I remember. He didn’t need to do that, I would never hurt him.”

“Not on purpose, maybe.”

Kuroo asked the ninja if he’d seen Oikawa’s accessories either, and once again he turned up with nothing. After checking in with the Dateko blocks, he meandered around the room until he spotted Sawamura walking toward him with a serious look on his face.

“I was unable to find them, I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. Natsu-chan took Oikawa with her to a friend’s house a few days ago, he probably left them there.”

“Maybe… but I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off.”

“Oh? Is there an alarm going off in that helmet of yours?” Kuroo chuckled as he knocked against the clear plastic. At first, Sawamura blinked up at him in confusion, but when he saw Kuroo’s smirk he frowned darkly.

“No, I’m being serious. I feel like something’s been watching us all morning, but I haven’t been able to spot it. It’s creepy.”

Kuroo stopped smirking at him when he realized how serious he was. He wondered if Sawamura was just being paranoid, or perhaps he was onto something.

“Alright, we’ll keep our eyes peeled. Just let me know if you notice any suspicious behavior.”

“Okay. Your interrogations turned up nothing?”

“Nah, and if anyone did take Oikawa’s accessories, I doubt it was on purp--”

A shrill sound cut through the room, piercing everyone’s ears. Kuroo and Sawamura flinched and spun around to see Captain Azumane Asahi, Shoyou’s pirate doll, and Sugawara mini karaoke machine arguing. The noise was feedback coming from Suga’s microphone as he wrapped the cord around Asahi’s body and shoved the microphone in his face.

“There, now there’s no escaping,” Suga said with a satisfied nod and began playing a pop song on his player. “Once more from the top, Asahi.”

“Suga, please, I don’t want to sing. Everyone’s watching now,” Asahi groaned, noticing a crowd gathering around the spectacle.

“Hurry up, you’re going to miss your cue. Project from your gut, remember.”

“I can’t! You’re cutting off my circulation.”

Kuroo snickered at the scene; Asahi was a kind-hearted doll despite his fierce appearance and was always especially weak to his friends’ whims. Beside him, Sawamura crossed his arms and clicked his tongue.

“I don’t know who I’m madder at, Suga who needs to chill out or Asahi for not standing up for himself. I’ll go give them a lecture.”

“No, wait, Sawamura. They’re so entertaining.”

“I thought you were supposed to keep the peace?” Sawamura asked as he gave Kuroo a challenging grin. Kuroo expected such a question to set him off, to bring a flood of his rotten feelings that he had just shaken off. Instead, it stirred something else, a fizzling warmth in his chest that made him wish Sawamura’s helmet wasn’t on, so he could pinch his cute dimpled cheek.

“There are times I do need to keep the peace, otherwise this place would be a war zone. However, you’ll soon learn it’s good to let the toys have their fun, otherwise, they’d revolt. We gotta play the middle ground, understand?”

“We?” Sawamura asked, and Kuroo realized what he had said. He didn’t mean to include him on that, after all he wanted Sawamura to act less like the boss, not as a partner with him. Kuroo opened his mouth to change his wording but stopped when he noticed Sawamura’s big, brown eyes staring up at him hopefully and a light dusting of pink trickling across his cheeks. It caused him to lose his train of thought, and he coughed as he tried to remember what he was about to say. That was when he noticed something across the room slinking up Shoyou’s desk.

“What the...” He said as he narrowed his eyes, and with a gasp, he shouted, “Snake!”

All the toys flinched at his shout and scrambled to see where he was pointing. Sure enough, a snake was just reaching the top of his desk. The snake turned his head and shot Kuroo a smirk. Well, as much of a smirk as he could make since embedded in his mouth was a certain teal purse with a pair of shoes sticking out of it.

“Daishou,” Kuroo growled as he ran toward the desk as quickly as his flailing limbs could move.

“Is that really a snake?!” Sawamura yelled as he caught up to him.

“Nah, it’s one of those fake ones little boys like to scare their mothers with. He’s from next door, but he likes to sneak in here to cause trouble.”

“All the drawers are shut, how are we going to get up?” Sawamura asked as they drew near. Kuroo jerked his head around to look for a way to the top when he got an idea.

“Go, go, let’s go!” He yelled, and within a second the floor began to tremble.

“LET’S GO, DATEKO!” A flood of blocks shouted as they shuffled in a swarm to the desk and began building up a set of stairs. Kuroo hardly waited before he began ascending the multi-colored blocks to catch up to his arch-nemesis. He leaped over the last few steps and scrambled to keep his footing once his boots touched the desk. Daishou was already halfway out the window, and Kuroo lunged forward to grab the end of his tail.

“Give them up, Daishou!”

“Nebber!” Daishou said, his voice muffled by the purse as he shook his head.

“You’ll never win, you snake!”

“Ha, yeb I will!” Daishou hissed and gave a sharp jerk with his body. Kuroo gasped as he felt himself lunge forward out the window. There was nothing for him to grab onto as he felt the rush of air from outside flow around him, and he felt sick as he began falling toward the bushes down below. He yelped when his body was suddenly jerked back, and he found himself suspended horizontally with his feet just barely grazing the edge of the window.

With Daishou still struggling in his arms, Kuroo glanced behind him to see Sawamura gripping onto the ring that held the string to his back.

“You got him?” Sawamura shouted.

“Yeah, can you pull me up?”

“I’ll try!”

Kuroo did his best to keep the flailing snake in his grip as he felt his body lift bit by bit. Suddenly his whole body swept back into the window with one big jerk and he landed flat on his back as his string snapped into his back.

“ _There’s a snake in my boots_!” Kuroo’s recorded voice said, and despite being disoriented and confused Kuroo let out a cackle at the irony.

“You heard me, Daishou, get into my boots.”

Daishou simply hissed at him and wiggled to get out of his arms. His escape was shut off, however, when Ushijima and Asahi shut the window and stood with their backs against it to block it.

“Are you alright?” Sawamura asked as his face appeared over Kuroo’s, his hand extended to help him up. Kuroo shoved the snake off his chest and accepted it, and Sawamura had him back on his feet in the blink of an eye.

“Yeah, I’m fine. How’d you get me up so fast?”

“Oh, Bokuto rushed up behind me and pulled me back into the room.”

Kuroo snorted and glanced over at the ninja who was bouncing around Daishou with several blades in his hands.

“He would. Hey, how’d he get his shuriken back?”

“I bet Akaashi brought them out when you yelled about the snake.”

“Hmm, that makes sense. Well, we caught our culprit, let’s go have a chat with him.”

As Kuroo and Sawamura interrogated the pouting snake, several of the other toys went to fetch Oikawa from Natsu’s room to collect his accessories. When he finally arrived, he shrieked when he found them laying on the floor and swept them up into his arms.

“You stretched out my bag! And how could you put my shoes in it, they’re dirty!”

“I thought you said your bag was bigger than a purse?” Kuroo asked, snickering as Oikawa slipped his shoes back on and set the bag strap over his shoulder with a sniff.

“Thank you for finding the culprit, Sheriff-chan. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date.”

Kuroo’s grin stretched wide across his face as he leaned down toward Sawamura.

“No, he doesn’t. He keeps getting rejected.”

Sawamura chuckled and stretched up toward Kuroo’s ear.

“Maybe he should let Ushijima style his hair.”

Kuroo gripped his stomach as he let out a cackle.

“Oh man, that’s good… you’re right, I’m certain it would be an improvement. Thanks, by the way, for catching me.”

Sawamura beamed up at him, and Kuroo started to worry about the stuffing in his chest catching on fire. He coughed and began straightening his vest and the star on his chest as Sawamura nodded.

“My pleasure. You know, it’s fun being pitted against you during Shoyou’s playtime. But I think I prefer being on your side.”

“Well, unfortunately, that’s not something we have a say over,” Kuroo said glumly.

“Kuroo,” Ushijima said next to him, startling him from his conversation with Sawamura. “What should we do with the snake?”

Kuroo pursed his lips as he looked past him to see Daishou coiled up with a crowd of toys spread around him. Tendou perked up and began waving his hand wildly in the air.

“Oh! We can tie him up in the tree out here to see if any birds pick him off!”

Daishou cringed and slithered his head into his coils, only his bright eyes showing beneath the folds of his body.

“Nah, we can’t kill him, you psycho! We need a punishment to fit the crime.” With a gasp, Kuroo suddenly snapped his fingers. “I got it! Daishou was stealing some accessories, right? Poor boy probably just wanted a new wardrobe. Guys? Let’s give our guest a makeover!”

A rousing cheer went up from the toys as Daishou’s slitted eyes widened in fear.  Kuroo sent Sugawara to fetch any unwanted outfits from the dolls in Natsu’s room, and Ushijima and Tendou went to work on Daishou himself, finding some random accessories littered about in Shoyou’s desk drawer.

It was already late in the afternoon when they were finished with him. Ushijima and Asahi slid the window up and stepped aside to stand guard. Tendou, Bokuto, Kuroo, and Sawamura struggled with the flailing snake while they all tried not to buckle under their laughter.

“Have a nice trip back to your kid’s room, Daishou!” Kuroo snickered as they tossed him out the window into the bushes waiting below. They caught a brief glimpse of his livid face underneath the make-up as he hissed back at them, his frilly blue prom dress fluttering in the wind. The bushes broke his fall for the most part, but they roared as the snake struggled in the prickly branches to make his way to the grass below.

“Hey, Shoyou’s going to be home soon from school,” Kenma’s bored voice said from where he was lounging on a stack of books, right where a patch of sunlight was streaming in from the window.

“Alright, he heard the Cat. Everybody get back in your positions,” Kuroo said as he clapped his hands, and everyone rushed off to their appointed spots in the room.

“Um, good work today, Sheriff,” Sawamura said, his smile slightly shy as he nudged Kuroo with his bulky arm.

“Thanks. And about what you said earlier… I think we do make a pretty good team.”

Sawamura’s smile stretched wider and all the activity around them in the room seemed to dim. Kuroo felt a sadistic glee when he made the space ranger angry, but it was quite an empowering feeling to make him smile like that. It was so mesmerizing that he forgot what they were supposed to be doing, and before they could get back into their positions, everything began shaking as Shoyou’s footsteps thundered in the hall.

Kuroo and Sawamura gasped as they quickly fell onto the desk in a lifeless heap, just in time before Shoyou’s door burst open. Shoyou bounded into the room as he sang a little made-up song and tossed his backpack onto the floor. He flailed around a bit as he tried to remove his hoodie over his thick head of hair, tremors vibrating the furniture whenever his feet stomped on the floor. Once the hoodie was removed and his hair puffing out everywhere, Shoyou giggled as he reached his hand out to snatch Sawamura off the desk.

His hand paused, however, when his bright eyes caught sight of Kuroo next to him. He frowned as he leaned over them, his eyes blinking as they looked from one to the other. Kuroo was a professional and remained still with his grin frozen in place, but inside he was terrified that Shoyou would discover his toys’ true nature.

Suddenly, Shoyou gasped and grabbed them both, rushing over to the side of the room where Asahi’s pirate ship was stationed.

“Oh, no! Sawamura Space Ranger has been captured by the dread Captain Azumane! The pirate sneers and strokes his beard as Sawamura cries for help, but who could possibly save him in the wild ocean?” Shoyou narrated as he flipped open a hatch on Asahi’s ship and tried sticking Sawamura into it. His chest armor was too bulky, however, and he sat with his bottom half in the ship and his top half sticking out. Shoyou giggled, leaving him there as he turned to Kuroo.

“But wait, there’s still hope! Sheriff Kuroo is here to the rescue! No one can sneak aboard a pirate ship better than the Old West’s greatest cowboy!” He shuffled Kuroo up the hull of the ship until he landed on the deck. “ _I’m here to save you, Sawamura!_ ” Hinata said in the slyest voice he could muster, attempting to sound like Kuroo. He jerked his head toward Sawamura with a gasp. “ _Wait, Sheriff! It’s a trap!_ ”

Hinata reached over and slammed Asahi onto the deck and let out a maniacal laugh.

“ _Not so fast, Sheriff Kuroo. Sawamura is mine_ ,” He said in a deep voice.

“ _He doesn’t belong to anyone, Captain Azumane. But if he did, he’d surely belong to me,_ ” Hinata said flirtatiously, and Kuroo wondered if he could restrain the blush coming out in his cheeks. The Sheriff Kuroo from the cartoons Shoyou used to watch was a bit of a player, despite being an honorable man of the law. Kuroo himself wasn’t like that, but he wasn’t opposed to his new role as Sawamura’s rescuer.

He had to hold back tears as Shoyou’s smile beamed down at him, excitement glittering in his eyes as he had Kuroo and Asahi swordfight around Sawamura’s torso. He had been terrified of being officially branded as a villain, but all his worries had been obliterated. Even if he had to play the bad guy from time to time, it was worth it just having a place in Shoyou’s world. And from his experience earlier that day, Kuroo had discovered the joys of being both Sawamura’s adversary and teammate. He couldn’t wait to discover more roles he could play with the sassy space ranger with the warm, brown eyes that had a way of making everything seem better.

 


	2. Sawamura's Day Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day One of Kurodai Weekend! Getting sick/ **Injured**

Kuroo sighed heavily, his lips vibrating from the burst of air as he leaned out the windowsill. He craned his neck to check down the street, but there was no sign of Shoyou riding home on his bike from his friend’s house.

“Kuroo,” A deep voice said behind him and Kuroo yelped as he spun around, clutching at his stuffing-filled chest.

“Ushijima! Don’t do that.”

Kuroo took several deep breaths to calm himself down, shooting a glare at the impressive pectorals bursting out of Ushijima’s leotard right in front of his eyes.

_Plastic dolls have it so nice,_ Kuroo mentally grumbled. At least he was sewn in a way that his body always looked lean, and he spent several nights lately trying to squish his stuffing inside his shirt to make it look like he had abs.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you. You looked sad, so I thought I’d cheer you up.”

“ _You_ came to cheer me up? That—,” Kuroo huffed out a laugh and straightened up, “That’s sweet of you, but I’m fine.”

Ushijima’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as he cocked his head.

“You do not seem fine. You’ve been sighing every few minutes, and any attempt to pull you into our games has been refused. Are you depressed?”

“Of course, he is!” Tendou sang as he appeared next to Ushijima before Kuroo could deny it. “Now the question is, _why_ is he sad? Is it because Shoyou took Sawamura-kun instead of him to Tobio’s house? Nah, he’s been over that self-pitying phase for a while, and you never liked going over to Tobio’s, did you? I think it’s the absence of the space ranger himself that’s got you so down.”

“No, no, no, you’re way off, Tendou,” Kuroo laughed, waving his hand in the troll’s face. Ushijima’s meaty hand came down on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

“I’m here for you Kuroo if you’d like to talk about it.”

“I told you, it’s not like that!” Kuroo said as he swatted the hand away.

“Oh? Then how is it? Explain to us why you’re so sad right now when you weren’t earlier when Sawamura was here?” Tendou asked, his grin dripping with evil intentions.

‘I… I’m just tired. I always get this way in the middle of the afternoon. I think I’ll just lay down for a bit.”

“So quick to deny everything! If you’re trying to put us off the scent, Sheriff, I’d say you’re doing a pretty poor job.”

Kuroo clenched his jaw and glared at Tendou, but the troll grinned mercilessly back at him. There was a clatter behind him on the desk and Kuroo turned to see Sugawara the mini karaoke machine trying shuffle up.

“What’s going on up here? It sounded like people were bickering. Is there going to be a fight, or is someone just making fun of someone else?” He asked cheerfully, his digitized eyes wide with interest.

“Can you ever mind your own business, Suga-chan?”

“The day you stop calling me that is the day I stop… or think about stopping,” Suga giggled as he shuffled over.

“You’re just in time!” Tendou shouted around Kuroo. “He was just about to finally admit how he feels about Sawamura-kun!”

Suga gasped and tossed his microphone at Kuroo as Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ burst through the speakers.

“Finally! Here, let’s practice.”

“Shut that off!” Kuroo snapped as Tendou let out an obnoxious cackle.

“Oh? Something a little spicier perhaps?” Suga asked as the music switched over to a hip-hop tune. Kuroo glanced over at the words flashing on Suga’s screen and gasped.

“How do you have _That’s What It’s Made For_ on there?! You better never let Shoyou’s innocent ears hear that!”

“How do you even know that song?”

“Shoyou’s mom always blares Usher in the kitchen when the kids are at school. That’s not the point, and I am not singing anything to Sawamura when he gets back.”

Kuroo groaned as the sound of purring approached, knowing that his best friend entering the conversation wasn’t going to help him at all.

“I agree with Kuro,” Kenma said to Kuroo’s surprise as the cat slinked in the middle of the group and laid down.

“Thanks, Kenma!”

“If he tries to sing it’ll only frighten Sawamura away.”

The impertinent troll and karaoke machine laughed hysterically, and even Ushijima had the gall to crack a grin.

“Hmph, some friends you are!” Kuroo grumbled as he stomped away.

“Oh look! Shoyou’s home!” Tendou said behind him.

“Ha, ha, I’m not falling for that.”

“He’s telling the truth, Kuroo,” Ushijima said, causing Kuroo to pause and turn around to see everyone else peeking out the window. “We should get into our places, it looks like he’s in a hurry.”

“He looks like he’s pissed,” Suga said nervously.

Kuroo sighed and shook his head. Usually, Hinata’s friend Tobio played well with him, but sometimes his temper could get the best of him and Hinata always ended up hurt because of it. Tobio wasn’t a bad boy, though, and usually, he found a way to make it up to him in the end.

“Alright, everybody! Shoyou’s on his way up!” Kuroo called out across the room and clapped his hands. The toys scattered to get into their places, and Kuroo crawled up onto a stack of notebooks where Shoyou had left him earlier. By the time the thundering footsteps could be heard on the stairs down the hallway, everyone was frozen in their places.

Shoyou burst into his room, his cheeks flushed as he huffed several breaths. Kuroo barely flickered his eyes over but didn’t see Sawamura anywhere, and he immediately started to panic.

“Shou! Make sure you don’t lose it!” His mother called from downstairs.

“I won’t!” Shoyou called back and hastily unzipped his backpack. He slipped a small object out and tossed the backpack onto the bed. Kuroo got a brief glimpse of the object and dread seeped into his stuffed chest; it was Sawamura’s arm. Shoyou placed it in his desk drawer and slammed it shut before rushing back out of the room.

Kuroo stayed still until Shoyou’s footsteps could be heard descending the stairs. If he was heading for the kitchen there was the potential that he’d be there for a while helping his mother with dinner. Kuroo sat up on his knees and peered over to the bed where the backpack sat. It was still unzipped, but there was no movement to tell him Sawamura was in there. Kuroo hopped off the stack of notebooks and jumped across the narrow gap between the desk and the bed. Several of the toys had drifted over with curiosity, but Kuroo waved them off. Missing a part was devastating for a toy, especially something as important as an arm. He knew the last thing Sawamura would want was for everyone to bombard him with questions.

He briefly contemplated helping Suga and Asahi up instead, since the three had become best friends since the Space Ranger’s arrival to Shoyou’s room. A flicker of selfishness, however, kept him creeping toward the backpack himself. He heard nothing as he approached it, and he sensed no movement underneath the folds of the canvas.

“Sawamura?” Kuroo called softly as he bent down and lifted the opening of the backpack. He could just barely make out the outline of Sawamura’s glowing space suit, but the toy made no effort to answer and stayed as still as a rock. Panic set in again as he considered Sawamura might be even more injured than just missing an arm, and he scrambled inside the backpack and hovered over Sawamura’s body.

“Sawamura?!” He called again and gripped the arm that was still attached and gave it a little shake. The arm snapped out of his grip and Sawamura curled up on himself with a grunt.

“Leave me alone, Kuroo.”

“Are you okay? Why didn’t you answer me?”

“Because I didn’t want to talk.”

Kuroo flinched, but he shook his head as he tried not to take it personally.

“I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want. But I just need to know if you are okay.”

Sawamura remained silent for a while, and Kuroo nearly turned around in heartbroken defeat when he heard Sawamura sigh.

“I’m… I’m broken,” He said in a soft voice that trembled slightly as if he was trying to keep from crying.

“I know. I saw your arm when Shoyou put it in the desk.”

“Are you going to make fun of me? Tell me Shoyou’s going to throw me away?”

“No! Jeesh, why would I do something like that?”

“Because you always tease me.”

“I only tease you because I like you—I mean, as a toy, another toy of Shoyou’s. You’re alright, you know, not a bad guy,” Kuroo stammered and gave a little cough. “I’m really sorry about your arm and I would never make fun of you for that. I promise you, though, that Shoyou would never throw you away.”

Sawamura slowly turned to glance at Kuroo over his shoulder.

“How can you be so sure? Isn’t that what kids do when their toys break?”

“Are you kidding? Well, I suppose some rotten kids are like that, but not Shoyou! Do you know how many times I’ve been broken? I used to belong to Shoyou’s father when he was a kid, so you can imagine how often my threading wears out!”

Sawamura turned all the way over until he was facing Kuroo, his brown eyes wide and hopeful.

“You mean it? I won’t be thrown away?”

Kuroo gave him a warm smile, keeping his eyes on Sawamura’s face and refusing to even glance at the gaping hole in his shoulder.

“There’s no way. And even if there was, we’d fish you out before the trash went out,” He said with a wink. Sawamura cracked a smile, but it slid away as quickly as it had spread up.

“But I’m so useless now. I’m the reliable guy, remember? How can I support everyone if I’ve only got one arm?”

“Okay, Space Ranger. First, you only have one arm _for now_. You newer toys were made in such a way that you’re easier to break, so you’ll actually be easier to fix.”

Kuroo leaned back as Sawamura sat up quickly, his hand reaching out to grip Kuroo’s arm.

“I can be fixed?!”

“Of course! Your arm probably just needs to be jammed back in its socket. Shoyou’s mother will probably help him with it later. Second, no one expects you to constantly be there at their every whim. Let others help you out for a change.”

Sawamura scrunched his nose and Kuroo snickered, thinking how lucky the space ranger was that his helmet was on so Kuroo couldn’t squeeze his cheeks.

“I don’t need people helping me.”

“Wow, such an independent attitude for someone who was wailing a minute ago _Shoyou’s gonna dump me_!”

Sawamura pulled back the arm that was still attached and gave Kuroo a light punch.

“I didn’t sound like that.”

“You did. But regardless, you don’t need to think of it like everyone’s helping you as if you were an invalid. Think of it as a vacation! Space rangers get days off, too, don’t they?”

“I suppose so. Have you ever taken one?”

“I’ve had a few. Last time I spent the day in Natsu’s room and hung out in Kiyoko’s swimming pool. It would have been perfect if Oikawa hadn’t been there yapping my ear off.”

“About what?”

“He’s always trying to get me to hang out over there instead to keep the peace. There isn’t even any trouble, he just wants me to yell at Natsu’s stuffed monkey and chipmunk for guarding Kiyoko, so he can have a shot at flirting with her. Even when he does, it never works. Wait, where was I going with this?”

“Taking a vacation,” Sawamura answered with a laugh. Kuroo felt his internal temperature spike rapidly, though perhaps that was from being confined in Shoyou’s backpack for so long. _Yeah, that’s probably it_ , he thought as he slipped his fingers in his collar and pulled it back to give his neck some air.

“Right. So, is there anything you’ve been wanting to do but never had time? Something fun?”

“Fun… that wasn’t really covered in my training,” Sawamura said as he gazed down at his boots.

“That’s fine! Luckily for you, I am the King of fun!”

“I thought you were a sheriff?”

“It’s just an expression, jeez. Sometimes you sound just like Ushijima.”

Sawamura wrapped his arm around Kuroo’s neck, smothering his face into his bulky chest and continuously hitting his blue button.

“ _Sawa—Sawa—Sawamura Space Ranger to the rescue!_ ”

They descended into a mess of snorts and laughs, and without any little coaxing from Kuroo, Sawamura crawled out of the backpack. Asahi was waiting outside of it to help him to his feet and a plastic microphone flung out of nowhere, smacked Sawamura’s helmet and nearly knocked him back onto the mattress.

“Suga!” He grumbled, but the karaoke machine only laughed.

“What were you doing moping in there?”

“I lost my arm!”

“Boo hoo!”

“Suga, in this case maybe you should be a bit more sympathetic.”

“Shut it, you whiney pirate! I won’t support anyone’s pity party.”

“I’m not having a pity party,” Sawamura snapped, managing to pick up the microphone and threw it back at Suga. “Kuroo suggested I take the time without it to have a vacation or something.”

“Exactly!” Kuroo said as he emerged from the backpack. “Suga put on your most relaxing music. Asahi pick him up! There’s no need for him to use his legs on his vacation!”

Sawamura squawked as Asahi attempted to pick him up bridal style, but with how much the space ranger flailed he ended up draping him over his shoulders.

“To the window!” Kuroo shouted, pointing his finger in the right direction as he snickered at the scene. Sawamura continued to wiggle in Asahi’s hold, but it was difficult with only one arm. Eventually, he gave up and hung limply while gentle ukulele music accompanied the trip. Kuroo and Suga quickly tied up one of Shoyou’s longer socks to create a makeshift hammock, and Asahi hurled a pouting Sawamura onto it.

“See? Isn’t this lovely?”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“You’re not supposed to do anything! That’s the point,” Kuroo explained, but Sawamura still looked unsure as he tried to keep his balance on the swinging sock. _Hmm, this might be harder than I thought_ , Kuroo thought as he motioned for Suga to move back a bit with his music still playing and knelt beside the hammock. He placed his hand against Sawamura’s chest and gently pushed him to lay down. He motioned for the rigid space ranger to take a deep breath and let it out slowly, and surprisingly Sawamura obeyed with his body relaxing immediately.

“Good, now close those pretty brown eyes of yours.”

“You think my eyes are pretty?” Sawamura asked, raising an eyebrow as a smirk curled on his lips.

“Wha— I mean, they’re not ugly. You know what, just shut ‘em, I’m doing you a favor here.”

“Uh-huh,” Sawamura chuckled, but he did as he was told though the smirk remained.

“Good, now just relax,” Kuroo said in a soft voice, pulling the sock toward him and letting it go so it swung gently. “Breathe in the fresh air and soak in the pleasant birdsong from outside.”

“I have my helmet on, I can’t breathe the fresh air.”

“Since when did you become a sass monster? If you don’t pipe down I’m going to leave you to Suga-chan’s mercy. How well do you think you’ll relax with him?”

“Okay, okay, I’ll be quiet,” Sawamura chuckled.

“I’m standing right here,” Suga grumbled, but continued playing the relaxing music behind them. Soon the smirk on Sawamura’s face faded into a warm, comfortable smile as Kuroo continued to push him in his hammock. Kuroo’s cheeks began to hurt after a while from smiling so widely, but he couldn’t help himself. It wasn’t often he was able to observe Sawamura so openly, especially when he was so peaceful. After a while, however, Sawamura got bored, and Kuroo had to think of something else to occupy the space ranger.

“Kuroo! Kuroo! I heard you’re playing with Sawamura, can I join?!” Bokuto shouted as he hopped onto the desk with an unnecessary flip and a pose at the end of it that didn’t look cool at all.

“We’re not playing, I’m helping him relax. Sorry, Buddy, but I don’t think you’re a good candidate for that.”

“Actually, Bokuto-san isn’t terrible at helping others relax,” Akaashi said right behind Kuroo, causing him to jump and throw his arms around Sawamura. Akaashi rolled his eyes from above his ninja mask and continued. “Sometimes he’s able to provide the perfect distraction.”

“Hmm, distraction. I got it! Bokuto, do you have that deck of cards still?”

“Yup, they’re in my stash.”

“Great, go get them. We can play Old Maid.”

“Yes! I’ll go get them!” Bokuto cheered and he spun around, cartwheeled to the edge of the desk and flipped off out of sight.

“How am I supposed to play with one arm?” Sawamura asked, retreating a little into his unsure state.

“We can just find someone to hold the cards for you.”

“I can hold them for him,” Akaashi suggested, but Kuroo narrowed his eyes at him.

“No way, you’re too weak against Bokuto. I feel like you’d somehow help him cheat no matter how hard you try to resist.”

Akaashi’s dark eyebrows furrowed together, but after thinking about it a moment he hung his head.

“You’re probably right. Perhaps Ushijima then; he wouldn’t react to his cards and he’ll be unbiased.”

“Good thinking! As long as we can keep Tendou occupied.”

“That I can help with. He’s been trying to rope me into a strategy session for pranking the toys in Natsu’s room,” Akaashi said with a resigned sigh, already walking away to fulfill his duty. A minute later Bokuto bounced back onto the desk and the three of them settled in for a game with Ushijima assisting.

It would have been the perfect distraction if Kuroo hadn’t been so amused with how seriously Sawamura was playing the game. He switched from an honest and trusting space ranger to suspicious card shark observing Kuroo’s every move to figure him out. Kuroo decided to bluff frequently, but not always so he could always fake Sawamura out. He cackled at the look of dismay on Sawamura’s face when he lost again, though he still wasn’t losing as often as Bokuto, who was a completely open book even with his mask pulled up over his nose.

“Why are you so good at this? I thought a sheriff would be more honest,” Sawamura grumbled.

“Kuroo hasn’t cheated, you’re just easy to read,” Ushijima explained as he gathered a few cards that had been discarded so he could shuffle them into the pile.

“ _You_ think I’m easy to read?”

“Your eyes widen slightly when you have a good hand. Your eyebrows lower when your hand isn’t good, or you have the joker.”

Sawamura’s mouth dropped open as Kuroo fell backward, gripping his stomach with laughter. The space ranger literally growled and shuffled over to him, smacking his gloved hand over Kuroo’s mouth to smother the obnoxious noise. Kuroo’s eyes glittered with mischief as he wrapped his long leg around Sawamura’s and flipped him onto his back. Sawamura gasped in surprise, but before he could focus Kuroo had pinned his arm above his head with his body pressing down against his.

For a moment, Sawamura remained frozen as Kuroo’s leering face edged in closer to his. He could nearly hear his heart rattling in his plastic chest, so he gulped down his sudden nerves and lifted his chin to feign confidence.

“Really? Bullying a one-armed man, Sheriff? Hardly seems fair.”

Kuroo’s grin stretched wider as a deep chuckle rumbled in his chest. The sound used to irritate Sawamura when he first arrived in Shoyou’s room, but now it filled his spacesuit with an uncomfortable heat.

“Just taking the opportunity while I have the advantage, nothing wrong with that,” Kuroo answered, leaning a little further until his chest pressed against Sawamura’s. The green button on his spacesuit slid down from the weight, and they both flinched as Sawamura’s helmet retracted, leaving nothing between their faces except air.

Behind them, the ukulele music switched off and Usher burst from the Suga’s speakers once again. They sat up and glared at the wide-eyed karaoke machine staring at them with Ushijima and Bokuto sitting beside him with the same guilty expression.

“I’m sorry!” Suga cried, shutting the music off completely. “It came on by itself, I swear.”

“Maaaaan, and it was just getting started!” Bokuto groaned, smacking his palm to his forehead.

“You guys are so embarrassing,” Kuroo grumbled as he helped Sawamura up. “Ushijima, you too?”

“I must admit I was quite captivated by the situation.”

Kuroo glanced down at his hand in Sawamura’s, and they both flinched away, coughing and chuckling awkwardly. Kuroo rubbed the back of his head, trying to think of something to say when he noticed the lovely flush across Sawamura’s cheeks. He nearly reached out to pinch one when Shoyou’s steps could be heard thundering toward the stairs from the floor below.

“Places everyone!” Kuroo shouted, and all the toys scattered to their spots. “Sawamura, do you need help getting back to--”

Kuroo’s voice was cut off when Sawamura grabbed his shirt and yanked him down. Before he knew what was happening, a soft set of lips kissed his cheeks and shoved him back up. Sawamura pressed his green button hastily to cover up his flaming red face.

“No, I can handle it. Thanks, Kuroo,” He said quickly and ran toward the edge of the desk. With one leap he flew over the chasm between the desk and the bed and landed softly on the mattress. Kuroo remained gaping at him until the space ranger finally disappeared into the backpack. His hand cupped the cheek where Sawamura had brushed his lips a moment before, the other one gripping his chest where his heart was throbbing painfully. A movement at the door startled him, and he dropped into a heap on the desk just before it swung open completely.

“Alright, let’s see the damage,” Shoyou’s mother said as she followed her son in, heading straight for the desk. Without moving his eyes, Kuroo could tell Shoyou was feeling a bit better as he bounded across the room and located Sawamura’s arm in the desk drawer.

“Here. Do you think you can fix it?”

She hummed as she held it up, narrowing her eyes as she rotated it in the air.

“Where is Sawamura-kun?”

“Sawamura- _san_ , Mom. He’s a famous space ranger and has saved the galaxy millions of times.”

“I’m so sorry!” She laughed. “Fetch Sawamura-san and I’ll see if I can fix him up. Otherwise, how will the galaxy survive?”

“Exactly!” Shoyou agreed, slipping his hand in his backpack and pulling Sawamura out. He handed him immediately to his mother, bouncing on his toes as he tried waiting patiently. Kuroo also craned his head cautiously to watch her pop Sawamura’s arm back in place and lift him up with a triumphant grin.

“Fixed! Good as new.”

“Yay! Mom, you’re a champion!”

“Oh, well, it was nothing,” She giggled as Shoyou snatched Sawamura into his arms and embraced him tightly.

“Thanks, Mom!”

“Of course, but you do need to make-up with Tobio. Sawamura-san wouldn’t have been broken had you decided to share him instead of playing tug-of-war.”

“I know… I’ll talk to him at school tomorrow,” Shoyou said with his bottom lip sticking out. His mother laughed and ruffled his bright curls.

“That’s my boy. Have fun, I’ll be downstairs with Natsu.”

Kuroo watched from his spot on the desk as Shoyou immediately began playing with Sawamura, pressing the red button on his chest so his wings sprung out from his suit. Shoyou made airplane noises as Sawamura soared through the air to find the toys that had been kidnapped by the dread pirate Captain Azumane.

He smiled at the scene, sighing with relief that everything was back to normal. He couldn’t help but hope, however, that the space ranger might rely on him a little more in the future, even if he wasn’t broken. _And maybe I can get another kiss out of it as well_ , Kuroo thought as his cheeks grew abnormally warm.


	3. A Chance for Some Romance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kurodai Weekend 2018 Day 2: Affection/Dates   
> It's both because why not?

There was a shift in Kuroo’s relationship with Sawamura after his injury and the kiss on the cheek he received as thanks. He stopped denying that something was brewing between them, but in place of that he was wrecked, wondering how on earth to proceed next. All he wanted to do was lasso that space ranger and wrangle him into his embrace, peppering his cute face with a million kisses. Unfortunately, when he explained that to Kenma, his friend coughed up a hairball onto the desk.

So, one day Kuroo buried his pride and snuck out of Shoyou’s room while he was at school and wandered into Natsu’s room to consult with the one person who might give him some guidance, though he really didn’t want to talk to _him_. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

As he slipped into the next room, he squinted from the brightly colored walls and the rainbow-colored bedspread and cringed at the obnoxious pop music coming from Natsu’s toy house and pool where the dolls were having a party.

“Sheriff-chan!” Oikawa shouted when he spotted him and smacked the beach ball in his hand straight at Iwaizumi’s face. “Have you reconsidered my offer?”

“No, I’m not going to switch rooms. Stop asking,” Kuroo said with an eye roll.

“Oh, well I’m intrigued what would bring you all the way over here. Timeout, everybody! We’ll restart the game in a bit. Kiyoko-chan! I’ll be right back, my Princess!” He cooed and blew a kiss at Natsu’s Kiyoko doll. Her expression didn’t change as she turned and walked away, karate chopping the pause button on the speaker as she walked past it. Kuroo snickered at her reaction but stifled it in his palm as Oikawa turned back toward him with a dejected look and shuffled over to Kuroo.

“Sorry to interrupt your game, Oikawa. Kiyoko’s still not impressed?”

“I wouldn’t say that! She’s just playing hard to get,” He sniffed indignantly. Kuroo peeked over Oikawa’s shoulder where Matsukawa and Hanamaki started playing a guitar and bongo drums next to Kiyoko’s pool. Kiyoko herself had wandered over and grabbed Iwaizumi’s hand to coax him into dancing with her. His face was bright red as he awkwardly stammered and made stiff movements with his limbs. It only seemed to encourage Kiyoko more as she smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to help him move more fluidly.

“Yup, totally playing hard to get,” Kuroo said, trying not to laugh. “Anyway, I have a favor to ask you.”

Immediately Oikawa perked up, his _charming_ smile pasted on as he leaned forward eagerly.

“Oh? I would be happy to help a lesser individual! What can I do for you, Sheriff?”

“Well, it’s not so much a favor, but more advice? You know Shoyou and the whole family are going out this evening, right?”

“Yup, we’re throwing a luau. You’re welcome to come, though it’s a pity you can’t change out of that outfit.”

“What’s wrong with my outfit? It’s classic! Never mind, I’m not coming to your luau. I wanted to do something with Sawamura… alone.”

Oikawa’s eyebrows raised up into his perfectly wavy hair, and Kuroo cringed at his hungry expression.

“Like a date?”

“Yes! Like a date.”

Oikawa sputtered into laughter, bending over to hug his sides. As the obnoxious noise continued, Kuroo’s expression grew darker and he contemplated getting in on Tendou’s strategy sessions for making Oikawa miserable. Luckily, for Oikawa, he straightened up and flicked off a few stray tears as he took several deep breaths to calm down.

“Oh, wow… I haven’t laughed so hard in a while. Thank you. Okay! So, you want to ask Sawamura out on a date. You want to know how to do that?”

“I think I can manage that,” Kuroo snapped, folding his arms across his chest. “I don’t know what to do for a date, it’s not like I can take him to a restaurant or a movie. I want it to be romantic, as well,” He muttered, staring down at his boots. At least this time Oikawa didn’t laugh.

“Of course, you want it to be romantic, otherwise what would be the point of a date? You’ll have just a couple hours before the family returns, correct? The trick is getting him alone, there are too many nosy toys that would enjoy butting in if you had it in Shoyou’s or Natsu’s rooms. He’s still relatively new, so why not take him on a tour of the house? That should take a while, chat about things, tell him some funny stories that aren’t awkward, and end the night in the Mother’s room.”

“Why would we end it there?”

“Because her window faces west, and you can view the sunset from her window,” Oikawa explained, waving his hand as if that was obvious.

“Oh, that sounds nice! How did you come up with all that?”

“I have it all planned out for my first date with Kiyoko-chan, though I have some more extravagant events organized before the sunset viewing. Sorry, can’t have you stealing all my ideas!” Oikawa chirped as he winked with his tongue sticking out. Kuroo’s grin turned evil as he pointed over Oikawa’s shoulder.

“Well, sorry to break it to you, Buddy, but Iwaizumi’s already stolen your girl.”

Oikawa squawked as he spun around, his jaw nearly dropped to the floor as he watched Iwaizumi and Kiyoko making out in front of her swimming pool.

“Iwa-chan! Again?!”

 

As soon as Kuroo returned to Shoyou’s room, he tried keeping his expression and posture confident since it felt like someone had twisted the fluff in his stomach into cotton noodles. He scanned the room and located Sawamura chatting on top of the toy box with Asahi and Sugawara. Drawing in a deep breath to calm himself, the Sheriff made a beeline across the room before he could change his mind.

Asahi spotted him first when he climbed to the top and gave him a friendly wave.

“Hi, Kuroo! What’s going on?”

Suga also turned and gave him a smile, but Kuroo’s eyes were locked onto Sawamura who beamed at him from inside his transparent helmet.

“Hey, I was wondering where you were.”

Kuroo’s face heated up immediately, and he hoped it didn’t show but from the smirk on Suga’s digital face, it must have been obvious.

“Yeah, I stopped by Natsu’s room, just needed to check on something. Listen, can I talk to you for a minute, Sawamura?”

“Of course!” He said, shuffling around to face him properly.

“Er, no, I meant alone.”

Surprise flashed across Sawamura’s face as Suga and Asahi shared an amused look. _Nosy toys indeed_ , Kuroo thought as he ignored them and focused on the nervous space ranger instead.

“Sure, um, I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

“Have fun!”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

Sawamura rolled his eyes and followed Kuroo as he hopped off the toy box and walked beside the bookshelf. Kuroo craned his neck around to make sure no toys were in the vicinity, and once he was certain of their privacy he set his arm against the bookshelf and leaned against it with his lips turning up into his signature grin.

“So… Sawamura.”

“Yes?” He replied curtly as he crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow at Kuroo.

“There’s no reason to be suspicious!”

“Forgive me if I don’t believe you.”

“Hey now, I believe a person is innocent until proven guilty.”

“Perhaps that’s how it works in the Old West, but space is a wild frontier of mayhem and corruption. It’s better to err on the side of caution,” Sawamura said in full seriousness, gazing off in the distance as memory flashes from his programming showed him images of laser blasts and innocent aliens screaming for his help.

“Uh, Sawamura?” Kuroo asked, waving a hand in front of his eyes. Sawamura fluttered his eyes and gave a little cough.

“Sorry, where was I?”

“I think you forgot you were a toy again.”

“I did not! Whatever, what was it you wanted to talk about?”

All his plans for being smooth drained right out of Kuroo through his boots at the sudden question. He twiddled his fingers nervously as he licked his lips, building up the courage to ask the question he’d been dying to ask Sawamura for a while.

“I was thinking… So, Shoyou and his family are going to be gone all evening, right? I thought it would be a good opportunity to show you around the house. Like a tour.”

“Oh, good thinking. I should get to know the entire layout of the house, just in case.”

“Just in case of what?” Kuroo asked, forgetting about his nerves for a moment as he leered down at Sawamura. The space ranger glared back up at him and looked away with a huff.

“Never mind.”

“No, no, go on. In case we’re attacked by an evil space dictator?”

“ _Emperor_ ,” Sawamura corrected, but his glare deepened as Kuroo let out an obnoxious snort.

“Ahem, well it would be good for you to know the rest of the house. We may not be attacked by an evil space emperor, but you never know when you might need to fetch something when the house is empty.”

“That is a good point. Well, I guess that’s why you’re the sheriff. I accept this mission, we’ll meet around 1800 by Shoyou’s door?”

“Oh, uh, it’s not exactly a mission. I was hoping this could be more like a… date,” Kuroo explained, holding his breath as he waited for Sawamura’s reaction. There wasn’t any reaction to be seen for several moments. He blinked up at Kuroo as the word _date_ hovered in the air between them like a murky cloud. Kuroo knew the moment it finally sunk into Sawamura’s plastic head when he gasped, and a light blush flickered across his cheeks.

“A date— you’re asking me out on a date?”

“Yes, it’s true. I am not trying to trick you, I genuinely want to take you on a date. You getting to know the layout of the house is just an excuse to spend time with you... alone,” Kuroo admitted, rubbing the back of his head as the awkwardly honest words tumbled out of his mouth. “Is that okay? You don’t have to go if that makes you uncomfortable.”

“No!” Sawamura shouted, immediately cringing at the volume of his own voice. Both their heads swiveled around to make sure they hadn’t attracted any spectators. “Sorry,” Sawamura began again in a softer tone. “It doesn’t make me uncomfortable. I would love to go on a date with you.”

“You would?!” Kuroo asked, feeling a surge of excitement shove away all his previous nervousness.

“Of course, I want to spend time with you too… alone,” Sawamura said, speaking the last word in almost a whisper.

“Great. So, I’ll meet you at 1800 in front of Shoyou’s door?” Kuroo asked, unable to keep from giggling as he confirmed the time. Sawamura’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he seemed too excited for it to bother him more than that.

“Yeah, it’s a date.”

 

It proved to be more difficult than they thought, sneaking out of Shoyou’s room for some time alone. Kuroo had put Ushijima, Asahi, and the Dateko blocks on door duty to keep any of the nosier toys from following them around. He was going to ask Bokuto as well, but he had a feeling the ninja would take the chance to sneak out and spy anyways.

Kuroo and Sawamura rushed through the crack in the door as a cacophony of hoots, whistles, and cheers attacked them from behind. Kuroo grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the staircase, cringing as the sounds seemed to follow them even into the hallway.

“Here, let’s go downstairs quick,” He said as he went to step off the first step, but a tug on his hand pulled him to a stop. “What’s wrong?”

“Isn’t that dangerous? There are a lot of stairs,” Sawamura said, peering over the edge and wincing.

“What’s this? Is my little space ranger scared? Awww, Sawamura,” Kuroo purred as he grazed the side of his helmet tenderly, “I’ll keep you safe.”

“I’m not scared!” Sawamura growled, swatting Kuroo’s hand away. “I just know what an _antique_ you are, and a tumble down the stairs might result in you breaking something.”

“I’m not an antique, I’m vintage. But regardless, you don’t have to worry about me. In fact, I bet I could make it to the bottom before you.”

“There’s no way—”

“Onyourmarkgetsetgo!” Kuroo spit out as he launched himself down the steps, his long limbs flailing as his cackle echoed throughout the staircase. He’d seen Sawamura in action; there was no way he could keep up with him.

He was near the bottom of the first landing when a shadow fell across him. Sawamura had launched himself several steps up and had ejected his wings. Kuroo tripped as he stared up at him and fell hard on his face. He just barely saw Sawamura tuck and roll on his landing, springing up to his feet and rounding the corner without a second look at Kuroo.

“It’s not over yet!” Kuroo growled under his breath as he scrambled to his feet and lunged after him. Sawamura nearly reached the last step when Kuroo hopped onto the banister and slid down the rest of the way, carefully avoiding the center pillars. He managed to remain on his feet as he skidded across the main floor at the exact same moment Sawamura’s feet landed as well.

“Aw, a tie? That’s no fun,” Kuroo whined. Sawamura laughed and gave his arm a soft jab.

“Come on, I’m sure we’ll find some way to break the tie as we wander around.” He gave Kuroo a quick wink before moving past him, and Kuroo let out a gleeful giggle at being blatantly flirted with by the handsome space ranger.

“Here’s the kitchen and dining room, where Shoyou eats his meals with his family. Sometimes he does homework at the table, so his mom knows he actually did it.”

“Oh, this is where he goes when he’s not in his room,” Sawamura mused, staring up at the mountainous appliances and the table.

“Well, either here or the bathroom. There are a lot of things to do in there, and he tends to take long baths. He also never fails to go in there before he has to go anywhere outside the house.”

“Why’s that?”

“For some reason, he seems to be afraid of public restrooms. He once told Natsu that’s where you run into dangerous people, and for a while, _she_ refused to go in one. I heard the whole lecture his mother gave him after,” Kuroo snickered.

“Wow… makes me glad I’m a toy. It’s hard enough when he takes me to Tobio’s house. They play well for a while, and then they fight, and then they play, and then fight.”

“I remember,” Kuroo chuckled. “Not gonna lie, I’m relieved you replaced me in that respect.”

“Was it hard when I showed up? I know you didn’t seem to like me for a while,” Sawamura asked as they circled out of the kitchen, his brown eyes seeking out Kuroo’s.

“Yeah, it was really hard for a while. I had been Shoyou’s favorite his entire life, the toy who comforted him through his worst hurts, physical and emotional. It’s not like I cared about sharing the spotlight, but the worst was when he made me the bad guy for a while. I never thought he’d see me like that…” Kuroo drifted off, feeling the old ache creep back into his chest. Shoyou only occasionally made him the villain recently, and even when he did Kuroo was always reformed by the compassionate Sawamura Space Ranger. He thought all his hurt from Sawamura’s arrival and replacement of him as Shoyou’s favorite had all faded away since his own feelings had been growing for Sawamura. _Apparently not_ , Kuroo thought as he pressed his lips tight together, trying to think of a way to change the subject and improve the heavy atmosphere between them.

Sawamura’s hand slipped into his and pulled him to a stop before they entered the living room. Kuroo turned toward him to ask what was wrong, but Sawamura’s other hand pressed up against his mouth to keep him quiet.

“I’m sorry that Shoyou played with me more for a while, but I could never replace you in his affections. You’ve lived hundreds of heroic lives in Shoyou’s imagination before I arrived, and you occasionally being a villain only proves your versatility as a character,” Sawamura said with a warm smile. Kuroo curled his lips up against his fingers and huffed out a laugh, but the hand remained as Sawamura continued. “One thing’s for sure, no matter how insufferable you can be sometimes with your teasing or conniving, I could never see you as a villain or an enemy. I know in this stuffing-filled chest is the heart of a true hero,” Sawamura said as his hand slipped away from Kuroo’s lips and pressed over his plaid yellow shirt and cow-print vest.

Kuroo couldn’t have imagined how much Sawamura’s words would affect him. He drew in a deep shuddering breath to hold back the tears. He turned his face away, looking everywhere but at his date; the last thing he needed was for Sawamura to suddenly make fun of him for being a crybaby.

“Hey,” Sawamura said softly as his hand slipped up to his chin, tugging Kuroo’s face back toward him. “How about you show me this next room, and then we can settle in somewhere quiet and peaceful?”

“Actually, I know the perfect place,” Kuroo said with a wink, regaining his confidence as his usual grin slid into place. Sawamura’s other hand was still entwined with his own, and he held onto it as he led him into the living room.

Like Oikawa had suggested earlier, Kuroo told Sawamura a few stories about when Shoyou had brought him downstairs and the adventures they had together in the living room. Sawamura listened attentively, laughing at some of the goofier parts.

If there was one thing he adored about the other man, it was his obvious adoration of Shoyou. He loved him as much as the rest of his toys did, and that more than anything settled Kuroo’s worries about being replaced. Though Sawamura’s words had touched a deep part of him and he hoped that he was right, that Shoyou would always have a special place for him in his heart.

After they toured the downstairs, Kuroo and Sawamura ascended the stairs together, too entranced by their conversation to compete with each other. Once they reached the top, Kuroo reached for Sawamura’s hand again, this time with a little more confidence. The shy smile he received made him want to squeal like Natsu does when she gets excited, but he kept his dignity as he gestured with his head.

“Come on, it’s this way.”

“What is?”

“Shoyou’s mother’s room. I have something special to show you.”

The quiet in the large room was oppressive. It was eerie being in such a large bedroom with no toys to occupy it. Kuroo would never understand adults’ reasoning to leave toys behind in their childhood. The thought of Shoyou becoming an adult one day was terrifying, but he shoved that thought away quickly. He was on a date with Sawamura, and he needed to keep the atmosphere light and romantic.

Together they climbed up her slim desk which was settled just underneath the window. It was clean and organized, but they still had to find their way around her computer monitor, something Shoyou didn’t have on his desk. When they finally settled down on the window sill and looked out, Sawamura gasped at the sight he was given.

“Wow! Why does the sky look like that?”

“It’s a sunset. Did your programming never say anything about it?”

“No, most of my travels were in deep space, and most of the planets I landed on were too far from any sun to experience it. Does this happen every night?” He asked, tearing his eyes away from the expanse of orange, purple and pink blended above the horizon to gaze at Kuroo.

“Well, the sun always sets, but it doesn’t always look this pretty. Depends on the weather, and how many clouds there are.”

“Oh. I’m glad I was able to see it like this,” Sawamura said softly as he turned back to it. The colors created by the sunset were mesmerizing, but Kuroo found his eyes lingering on Sawamura instead. His skin looked rosy in the light, and his expression was captivated as well as serene. Kuroo had never seen him like that before and he wondered what other expressions he would see Sawamura make in the future.

The oppressive quiet of the room had faded into something calm and comfortable, assisted by the beauty of the sunset. Kuroo bit his lip and contemplated his next move, which was somehow making physical contact with Sawamura. He could reach for his hand since it was resting between them, but he had already held his hand; it would hardly be progression. Instead, he tried shuffling closer, but the movement was neither quiet nor subtle as his holster and spurs scraped against the wood underneath them.

Sawamura’s gaze remained on the sky, but his lips curled into an impish grin. To Kuroo’s delight, he shuffled a little closer and leaned into his side, making it easy for him to wrap his arm around Sawamura’s shoulders. Kuroo mentally cheered at the success and marveled how comfortably they fit together. He felt him lean in even further as his arm slid behind Kuroo’s back, eventually wrapping around Kuroo’s waist. Kuroo sighed happily and laid his head against the hard plastic of Sawamura’s helmet.

_Now, if only I can get rid of this blasted thing..._ Kuroo thought, his lips itching to make contact with Sawamura’s. Cautiously his hand slipped over Sawamura’s shoulder and down his chest to reach his green button. His fingers grazed the elliptical shape as it jutted out from the space suit, and Kuroo grinned devilishly and pressed it down.

Pain shot through his chest as the world blurred around him, vaguely hearing Sawamura’s shout of alarm. Everything stopped spinning for a moment, and just as everything became clear Kuroo felt nothing underneath him. His arms flailed as he descended into the darkness between the desk and the wall, eventually wedging himself between them to stop his fall.

His chest heaved with deep breaths, his heart throbbed erratically as his scrambled brain attempted to work out what happened. The little light he had was suddenly taken away as a shadow appeared from above.

“Kuroo?! Kuroo, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine for now. What happened?”

“You pressed the button that ejected my wings, and one of them sort of punched you hard enough that you fell off the sill and down there.”

“Ugh, that explains it,” Kuroo groaned, hanging his head in shame.

“Sit tight, I’ll come down and get you.”

“I don’t think you’ll fit.”

“Are you calling me fat?!”

“No!” Kuroo laughed, forgetting how self-conscious Sawamura could be about his curvaceous physique. “It’s your broad chest that won’t allow you to fit. Try to find a bit of spare cord or something, so I can climb back up.”

“Alright, don’t go anywhere.”

Kuroo frowned and peered over his shoulder at the dusty cobwebs glinting underneath him.

“Yeah, don’t worry about that. I’m comfortable where I am.”

Sawamura only took a few moments rummaging around in the desk drawer before he found a spare charging cable and ran across the desk to slip it behind to Kuroo.

“Here it comes!” He called as he lowered it above Kuroo’s head. It wasn’t the longest cord, but luckily it was just enough that Kuroo could stretch up and snatch the end of it. He yelped as Sawamura yanked him higher, and in a moment he was soaring through the air and landing hard on the desktop.

“Owwww,” He groaned against the wood surface, wiggling his facial muscles around, wondering if any of it was smashed beyond repair. A set of firm hands gripped his arms and flipped him onto his back, straight onto Sawamura’s lap. Kuroo forgot all about his pain as he gazed up at the handsome face frowning down at him.

“Are you okay?” Sawamura asked, slipping his hand under Kuroo’s hat to run through his messy hair. Kuroo smiled and leaned into the touch as the hand grazed down his face.

“I am now.”

Sawamura laughed softly and continued to slip his fingers through the messy black hair spilling over Kuroo’s face. His eyes traveled over the entire length of Kuroo and back up to his face, inspecting him for any damage.

“You do look fine. I can’t believe that happened. Why did you press that button?”

“I didn’t mean to, I was trying to press the other one.”

Sawamura cocked his head in a cute way that reminded Kuroo of a puppy he saw once in front of the house.

“You wanted to hear my catch phrases?”

“No! The _other_ one.”

Kuroo regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. It was one thing when they were snuggled together on the window sill, watching the sun sink slowly below the horizon. The romantic mood had been broken, and now he had to endure the mischievous grin spreading across Sawamura’s face as he leaned down further.

“ _Which_ button? Oh, you mean this one?” He pressed the green button, and his helmet snapped back into his spacesuit. “Well, it’s down now. Why did you want my helmet removed, Kuroo?” Sawamura teased, leaning even closer until all Kuroo had to do was lift his head a few inches and they would be kissing. But Kuroo couldn’t move; he was too stunned by Sawamura’s teasing tone, the depths of his warm brown eyes, and how comfortable he felt cradled in his strong arms.

When all Kuroo did was blink back at him in response, Sawamura leaned back a bit and twisted his mouth.

“Hmm, there was no reason I guess? Well, perhaps we should get back to Shoyou’s room. They’re going to be back s—”

The rest of his words were muffled as Kuroo’s lips stifled them. He had lunged up so quick, Sawamura had nearly flinched away. It only took a moment for him to melt into Kuroo’s embrace, closing his eyes with a satisfied hum. He scrunched his nose as Kuroo’s hat tapped his forehead, and without looking he swatted it off the sheriff’s head.

Kuroo’s giggle vibrated through their lips as he shuffled a little closer, curling his legs around Sawamura’s waist. His body shivered as Sawamura’s fingers slipped through the length of his hair. _I would be his slave if he promised to keep doing that_ , he thought practically purring from the calming sensation. He still wanted more, though. Determined to take control of the pace, Kuroo wrapped his arms around Sawamura’s neck and pulled them closer, his lips turned into a grin as he deepened the kiss.

“ _To Eternity, and further!”_

They both flinched at the sound of the voice but groaned when they realized it was Sawamura’s own recorded voice.

“You just can’t stop pressing my buttons,” Sawamura snickered as he gave Kuroo a little shove.

“Ha! Nice one. Honestly, though, we gotta find a way around all your booby traps.”

“They’re not booby traps, you didn’t even get hurt.”

“Excuse me, do you remember what happened just a bit ago at the window?”

“Oh, right.”

“That and the buttons are on your chest.”

“Yeah. What’s your point?”

“They’re _booby_ traps,” Kuroo explained with an eye roll.

“Wow, I just made out with a total idiot,” Sawamura sighed as he got to his feet. Kuroo pouted until Sawamura turned toward him and offered him a hand up. “Come on, we have to get back. If we don’t go soon, they’ll send someone to look for us. Can you imagine how awkward that would be?”

“Point taken,” Kuroo replied, accepting the hand and stood up with a groan. “Ugh, I forgot I was stabbed by your wing.”

“I think you’ll be fine. You’re well padded,” Sawamura teased, squeezing his hand as he walked toward the edge of the desk and making no move to release it. Neither of them said anything until they had slipped out into the hallway, Kuroo tugging Sawamura to a stop before entering Shoyou’s room.

“So… I had a nice time,” Kuroo said, his nervousness creeping up again even though the night had gone well, save for a couple incidents.

“Me too. Maybe we can do it again. Oh! But you don’t have to go through a lot of trouble. Even if we’re hanging out in Shoyou’s room, Natsu’s room, the hallway, stairs, kitchen, it doesn’t matter. I know I’ll have fun with you.”

Kuroo basked in the warmth from Sawamura’s smile. The other toy had been with them for months, and Kuroo had made it his mission to tease him any time his outrageous honesty came out. But being bombarded with it full-on in such a flattering way was a bit below the belt.

He took a step toward the space ranger, lifting his other hand to nestle against his cheek.

“I’m grateful for your trust, Sawamura. I have plenty of ways you and I can have fun together,” He purred, his eyes glittering as he leaned down. Sawamura laughed and lifted himself on his toes, pausing just before their lips touched.

“I look forward to it.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much fluff! I hope you're all enjoying this AU :) Let me know what you think so far!


	4. A Peaceful Vacation... or Not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kurodai Weekend Day 3! Travel

Kuroo giggled in the darkness of Shoyou’s backpack, and he could just make out Sawamura’s face as he put a finger to his lips even though they were curved up in a smile. Kuroo knew that they had to be careful, but he could hardly contain his excitement. Shoyou and his family were traveling to the beach for the weekend and each child could bring two toys. Naturally, Shoyou chose Kuroo and Sawamura, who were thrilled to finally get some much-needed alone time. Every toy in the Hinata household knew about their relationship, and unfortunately, toys lack any sense of maturity and decorum. Anywhere they went they were watched and teased, and some toys were even planning their wedding.

Now they were on their way to a peaceful vacation with just the two of them and Shoyou. And considering where they were going, Kuroo was certain they’ll be left in their room quite frequently while the family goes out. He had already made a mental list of everything he wanted to do with his space ranger boyfriend, most of which involved lazing around and listening to the nearby ocean waves.

With a happy sigh, Kuroo glanced over at Sawamura again to find his eyes were closed. A familiar urge crackled through him and he knew there would be no resisting it; Kuroo refused to let Sawamura rest peacefully without bugging him just a little bit.

He took a quick survey of the other objects in the pack, mainly books and handheld video games, and planned out the trek to Sawamura so he wouldn’t make any noise. It was loud in the car, but Shoyou’s backpack was resting on the seat next to Natsu. For a little girl, she was incredibly observant, and the last thing he needed was them getting caught when they were trying to make out.

Slowly he began to move, reaching his hand up to grip a book as his knee barely missed the power switch on one of Shoyou’s games. He avoided touching the wall of the backpack as well, or Natsu would surely notice something moving inside and probably think it was a mouse or something. His bottom lip remained caught between his teeth as he poured every ounce of concentration in moving silently the several inches between him and Sawamura.

As the glow from Sawamura’s spacesuit finally poured over him, he glanced up to find Sawamura’s eyes open and his expression extremely unimpressed.

“What?” Kuroo whispered with an impish grin as he laid on his side and propped his head on his palm.

“What do you mean ‘what’? We’re supposed to stay frozen.”

“I know, but I couldn’t help it. It’s supposed to be a couple hours to the beach, how could I resist getting closer to you now that we’re finally alone?”

Sawamura’s glare melted as he beamed up at Kuroo and shuffled his body toward him.

“I guess I can understand that. It is nice spending time together without everyone else around,” He said in a low, husky voice and reached out his hand to grip the edge of his cow-print vest. Kuroo gulped as the hand slipped down the material and Sawamura’s eyes traveled up the length of it to meet his gaze. That was one change that had occurred recently any time they were able to sneak a moment in private; Sawamura was growing more alluring as well as brazen, and it drove Kuroo wild.

“Exactly… now if we could just remove this blasted helmet.”

“Natsu might hear it.”

“Maybe if you grip onto it and slow it down as it retracts. Then it shouldn’t make so much noise.”

Sawamura seemed unsure, but Kuroo could tell he was just as anxious as him to remove it. He placed his hands against his helmet and gripped tight, giving Kuroo a nod when he was ready. Kuroo squinted down at his chest, placing his hand over the one that looked the greenest. Sawamura glanced down and nodded again, pursing his lips to hold back the laugh. The last thing they needed was his catchphrases shouting from the backpack or his wings to snap open.

With a gentle push against the button, Sawamura’s helmet jerked open, stopped just enough by his hands that he could slowly move it back without making a sound. Kuroo’s grin widened as he edged his face forward. Instead of going straight for a kiss, he closed his eyes and bumped his forehead against Sawamura’s for a moment, enjoying the closeness.

“Just don’t accidentally press any of them,” Sawamura warned, his low voice trembling with a chuckle. Kuroo groaned, picturing how much it would hurt if Sawamura’s helmet was to snap back into place.

“I’ll be careful. I would hate to mess up this moment,” Kuroo whispered back, his breath puffing across Sawamura’s skin as he began pressing light kisses across his face. He glanced down only for a moment to see his eyes closed and a soft smile on his lips. It was hard for him to even imagine when he disliked Sawamura. Him joining Shoyou’s collection of toys was one of the best things to ever happen to him.

They managed to snuggle and talk quietly for the rest of the trip, occasionally sneaking kisses and entwining their fingers between them in the green glow of Sawamura’s space suit. If the rest of the weekend was anything like the car trip, it would easily be the best weekend of Kuroo’s life.

It seemed too soon that the car lurched to a stop and Shoyou and Natsu’s excited voices could be heard beyond their canvas walls. Kuroo sighed and reluctantly slid back to his spot, waiting until the last moment to release Sawamura’s fingers from his own. They both squeezed their eyes shut as Shoyou swung the backpack around and secured it onto his back. After the initial adjustment to the constant motion, Kuroo smiled, knowing by the way the backpack lifted and dropped that Shoyou was skipping. He hoped this trip would be everything his sunshine boy dreamed it would be.

The kids squealed as they ran through the house, and Kuroo could just make out a few words, mainly _beach_ , _ocean_ , and _bunk beds_. At last Shoyou removed his backpack and set it on the floor. The zipper slid open a second later and two small hands reached in and snatched Kuroo and Sawamura.

“There you guys are, did you see the ocean?!” Shoyou cried as he shoved their faces up against a window. After all his years of being a toy, Kuroo had never seen such a sight. The Hinata family was able to reserve a room that had a perfect view of the beach and the ocean beyond. It was breathtaking, but it also made Kuroo nervous. He was satisfied living in Shoyou’s room and his view of the neighborhood street from his small window. That was enough for him. It was startling to see just how much larger the world was beyond that.

“Nii-san! Come play with me!”

“No, I don’t want to play with your sissy toys!”

“They’re not sissy. I brought my Oikawa doll!”

It took everything Kuroo had not to cringe. Inside his frozen, grinning face he was screaming. He had completely forgotten that they wouldn’t be alone on this trip. He had considered it before they left, but he thought for sure Natsu would bring Kiyoko and her kid sister Hitoka, not _Oikawa_.

“He’s just a pretty boy, or some Grand King lording over his peasants. Look at his smug face!”

“His face is a lot more handsome than your old cowboy doll.”

_Hey there, Natsu-chan, that’s a little uncalled for_ , Kuroo grumbled, and out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Sawamura pursing his lips to keep from laughing. _Hmph, traitor._

“Sheriff Kuroo is handsome in his own unique way, and he’s tougher too. I guess Oikawa can play the villain.”

“Nooooo, he’s the hero!”

“No one would ever believe that.”

“Mom!”

“That’s enough, you two. Leave your toys in a safe place, we’re going out for lunch and then we’ll take a quick walk through town to stretch our legs, maybe do a little shopping.”

All the tension from their bickering disappeared in a flash as they cheered and set their toys down in their designated spots. As soon as they charged out of the room, Kuroo heard Sawamura give a little snort.

“I thought you were on my side! Some boyfriend you are.”

Sawamura laughed even harder as he sat up on their floor cushion.

“I’m a great boyfriend! I support you no matter what your face looks like.”

His laughter was short lived as Kuroo pounced on him, his nimble fingers immediately searching out the sensitive areas on his spacesuit. He tried wriggling out of Kuroo’s hold, but there was a dangerous glint in Kuroo’s eye as he pressed the red button on his chest. His wings punched out and he gaped at them in confusion, confused why Kuroo would eject them on purpose. He received his answer when Kuroo sat up straight on Sawamura’s stomach and pinned the wings down onto the pillow with his boots, so he couldn’t move.

“I got you now, my Pretty!” Kuroo cackled in a witch’s voice as he leered over him in triumph.

“Are you trying to prove that you’re not a villain? Because you’re not convincing anyone right now.”

“I don’t mind slipping into a villainous persona once in a while, especially if it means I get to have my way with you,” He purred, pushing down on the green button to retract his helmet.

Butterflies seemed to flutter around Sawamura’s stomach as Kuroo’s face drifted toward him. He thought by this point he’d be used to it, but every lead-up to a kiss with Kuroo was exhilarating. For example, most times it was difficult to see any color in Kuroo’s heavy-lidded eyes, but at that moment, he was able to catch the greenish tint that reminded him of an evergreen forest. He’d never seen one of those in person, but Shoyou had a picture of one on his wall, and it looked as captivating and mysterious as Kuroo always seemed to him.

Kuroo’s lips finally brushed against his and he closed his eyes, shutting everything else out as he sighed into the kiss. His duty for leading and protecting others had been programmed into him since the moment he first gained consciousness. Since then, Kuroo had opened his eyes to the joy of being loved by a fantastic kid and the friendships to be had with their fellow toys. But most of all he never thought he would fall in love, especially a cowboy with a rotten grin.

A chuckle passed through his lips into Kuroo’s, and the sheriff pulled back with a pout.

“What’s so funny?”

“I was just thinking back, how strange it is that you and I got together, of all people.”

“Who’d you think I’d go for, Ushijima?”

“Well, he does fill out that leotard rather nicely.”

“Touché,” Kuroo chuckled, but his face fell as he cocked his head at Sawamura. “Was there someone else you thought you’d be interested in? Or would be if something hadn’t happened with us?”

Sawamura opened his mouth to answer, but the sound of arguing from across the room snagged their attention. Kuroo rolled off Sawamura and together they slid off the pillow to investigate with Sawamura’s wings snapping back into place.

“It doesn’t even make sense for _you_ to be here,” They heard Oikawa snap. “Kiyoko-chan should be here, you don’t even own a swimsuit!”

“You know what? I agree with you! It would be much better for Kiyoko to be here… instead of _you_ ,” Retorted a young woman, her voice unrecognizable to Kuroo. He exchanged a serious look with Sawamura and they both rushed to the other side of the room to find Oikawa glaring at what seemed to be a space toy that greatly resembled Sawamura. She was just slightly shorter than her male counterpart, and her suit much slimmer with an alternate arrangement of buttons. Her hair was dark and short, and her face was quite pretty, though at that moment it was furiously glaring at Oikawa.

“Michimiya?” Sawamura asked, and everyone jerked their head toward him in surprise.

“Sawamura-kun!” She shouted, smacking her palms against the side of her helmet.

“You know this chick?” Kuroo asked as he gestured toward her with his head.

“Of course! We’ve known each other for ages, went through the Academy together too!” Sawamura said as he began running toward her with an excited grin on his face. A strange sickly feeling swirled in Kuroo’s stomach as he watched the space girl run at Sawamura. She threw her arms around him with a laugh as he spun her around and set her back on her feet.

“I can’t believe it’s you!” She cried happily. “What are you doing here?”

“I belong to Shoyou! Are you Natsu’s?”

She nodded her head vigorously, and Kuroo noted with disdain how the flush on her cheeks had seemed to grow brighter.

“I’m very new, still getting used to everything and the fact that, you know, I’m not _actually_ a space cadet.”

“Well, that part is debatable,” Oikawa said as he lounged against Natsu’s rainbow backpack. Michimiya’s face flashed with anger as a growl curled through her throat, and Kuroo wondered if she only had two emotions: giggle and ogre.

“Just ignore him,” Sawamura said soothingly, and Michimiya’s happy mood switched back as quickly as Kuroo’s sick feeling returned. He flinched when Michimiya’s eyes flickered up to him curiously. “Oh! This is Sheriff Kuroo, the main law enforcement of the Hinata household.”

“It’s nice to meet you!” She said cheerfully and Kuroo’s lips trembled as he tried to give her a decent smile back.

“Same, it’s so wonderful to meet someone from Sawamura’s past,” He said through gritted teeth. Sawamura coughed into his hand as a light blush tickled his own cheeks.

“He’s, um, also my boyfriend,” He mumbled shyly and Michimiya blinked in surprise as her head jerked back and forth between them.

“ _Really_?! So, toys can actually date?”

“Well, yeah, if they’re interested in it. Aren’t a few of Natsu’s toys dating?”

“I had the suspicion, but I haven’t had a chance to get to know everyone very well. Kiyoko and her sister Hitoka have been so nice, I was really hoping one of them would come on the trip. Instead, I get stuck with him.”

“My condolences,” Kuroo chuckled as he tipped his hat and she giggled as Oikawa let out a huff. Kuroo felt slightly better since Sawamura had admitted they were dating and that his old friend didn’t seem to be bothered by it. _Unless she’s aiming to steal him away from me_ , He thought as he remembered her excitement at the possibility of dating, and the sick feeling swept back in a little stronger.

He watched with growing irritation as the two caught up with each other, noting that their matching space suits and honest appearance made them seem like the perfect couple. His mood plunged even further when he realized how quickly time was passing and soon the family would be returning. This upstart was already cutting into his romantic weekend with Sawamura, and he began thinking of ways to _accidentally_ lock her in a closet or something.

“Someone looks a little jealous,” Oikawa’s voice sang quietly into his ear. Kuroo swatted him away with a growl.

“I am not.”

“You should see your face, Sheriff-chan. For the first time, I’m not regretting this little disaster of a vacation. I sense some delicious drama coming and I have a front row seat!”

Kuroo closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He refused to let Oikawa get under his skin, and the last thing he wanted was for his relationship with Sawamura to become mere entertainment for the annoying doll. All he needed was a way to turn all of this on its head.

“Hmm, it’s interesting,” Kuroo said as he opened his eyes, his signature grin curling up his cheek.

“What is?”

“First Kiyoko, now Michimiya… are you _really_ the famous Oikawa doll with his own fan club? Didn’t you once brag you could attract anyone with your looks and charm? That sweet girl over there completely despises you. Maybe you’re getting old?”

_Bullseye_ , Kuroo thought smugly as Oikawa gasped in horror.

“I am not _old_ , how dare you,” He hissed. “I could get that girl to fall in love with me, I just didn’t want her to.”

“Why not? She’s pretty, nice, and probably has some pretty impressive accessories. If she’s anything like Sawamura, that is,” He said with a wink. Oikawa frowned and glanced back at the girl in question, his face strangely dejected as he watched her amiably converse with Sawamura.

“I suppose she’s attractive, not my usual type.”

“Does Kiyoko even count? _Everybody_ thinks she’s attractive.”

“I have standards!”

“And Michimiya doesn’t meet them?”

Oikawa pursed his lips and looked away, refusing to answer. Kuroo was thoroughly intrigued by the development. His teasing hard started off merely as a distraction from his own turmoil, but he may have inadvertently stumbled on something genius.

“Oikawa? Does this mean you might actually be interested in her?”

“No! She has a terrible personality.”

“How? Oh, did she already reject your flirtation perhaps?”

“Exactly! I was just being my friendly self, welcoming her to the room and she said she was going to report me to her commanding officer for sexual harassment! Can you believe that?”

“Ah, so that’s it! You _do_ think she’s cute, but she’s already rejected you,” Kuroo wheezed, his loud cackles carrying across the room and catching the attention of Sawamura and Michimiya. Oikawa hissed and wrapped his arms around Kuroo’s face, trying to shut up him to no avail.

“What are you two doing?” Sawamura asked, crossing his arms the way he does when he’s about to lecture, but his face was trying to hold back a smirk.

“Nothing! Ha, ha, ha! Sheriff-chan here was just being his rotten self. Michimiya-chan, I recommend never listening to a word he says. He may be law enforcement but he’s definitely dirty.”

“He looks rather clean to me, though?” She asked as she cocked her head, and Sawamura winced at her naivete.

“No, he means he uses his position in dishonorable ways, but Oikawa doesn’t actually mean it. Most likely Kuroo figured something out and Oikawa doesn’t want us to know.”

“That’s my astute boyfriend for you!” Kuroo bragged, giving Oikawa a devilish grin as he sauntered toward the space twins. “Hey, Michimiya-chan! I gotta tell you something about this guy.”

“No, he doesn’t!” Oikawa shouted, rushing in front of Kuroo and holding his arms out to keep him from going any closer. “Don’t believe a word he says!”

Kuroo snickered and peeked around Oikawa’s head.

“He’s a very handsome doll, isn’t he?”

“Well, I suppose you can believe _some_ things.”

“Sawamura, hold this for me,” Kuroo said as he picked Oikawa up underneath his arms and tossed him over. Sawamura laughed and caught him easily, even smacking a hand over his mouth so he couldn’t talk anymore. “Perfect! Now, as I was saying, this doll is handsome but he’s obviously a bit of a dick.”

Oikawa made an angry protest but Michimiya laughed and nodded.

“That’s what it seems like to me.”

“But I want you to do me a favor and not hold it completely against him. Honestly, underneath his smarmy exterior is a doll that cares about his girl Natsu more than anything, not to mention every single one of her toys. He’s incredibly hard-working and I’m sure you’ll be able to see that in no time. If you don’t trust me on it, just ask Sawamura. You _know_ he’d never lie to you,” He said as his eyes flickered over to the space ranger in question. Kuroo lost his train of thought for a moment as he basked in Sawamura’s warm smile until Michimiya gave a little cough. “Oh, sorry, where was I?”

“Oikawa’s hard working?” She giggled.

“Yes, and though he’s extremely flirtatious, he would never lead you on. I’m not saying you should date him or anything like that, you’re still new and settling into the room. I’m just asking you to give him a chance, especially since I’m going to ask him to be a little bit more real with you. Got it, Grand King?”

Sawamura removed his hand from Oikawa’s mouth so the other man could answer.

“Grand King?”

“Yeah, Shoyou called you that earlier. I think it’s rather catchy. So, how about it? Cut the crap and get to know this lovely lady like a normal toy?”

“Hmph, if she can keep from being so rude to me.”

“I’ll do my best, as long as you stop acting so snooty,” Michimiya answered, her chin raising up with confidence. Oikawa’s face softened, and he sighed as he wiggled his way out of Sawamura’s hold.

“Deal. Come on, Michimiya-chan, let’s go explore the room. I’ll never hear the end of it if we don’t give the lovebirds their space.”

“That sounds good. Talk to you later, Sawamura-kun!”

“Have fun!” Sawamura called after them as they walked away and reached out to slip his hand into Kuroo’s. “I have to say, I think you handled that very well.”

“I know, right? Much better than my initial plans!”

“Really? What were you planning on doing before?”

“I considered locking them up somewhere, maybe a closet or something. I was mainly thinking her, though in retrospect it would have to be them together.”

“What? Why Michimiya?” Sawamura asked, and Kuroo was relieved that he seemed more amused than angry with him.

“I couldn’t help it, I thought she was going to try and steal you away from me. You have a lot in common and a history, plus she’s a cute girl.”

Kuroo paused his explanation as Sawamura began to laugh.

“Are you nuts? Do you really not know any of my backstory? Shoyou watches my TV show all the time, and I know you’ve been around for several episodes at least.”

“How can I pay attention when you’re over there in Shoyou’s other arm sending me flirtatious looks?! So, what does your backstory have to do with it?”

“Michimiya is my adopted sister! Her parents died when she was young, and my parents took her in and raised us together in the small human colony on the planet Zexyl. Well, her parents didn’t really die, later we find out they were kidnapped and forced to work for the evil emperor as slaves. Luckily, we were able to rescue them, and the rest of the poor souls imprisoned in the Outer Rim.”

“Oh, thank goodness you were able to save them!” Kuroo snickered, breaking Sawamura free from his programming-induced flashback and earning him a swift punch to the arm.

“My point is that she doesn’t like me like that, and vice versa. And even if she did, I wouldn’t just abandon you. I really like you,” Sawamura muttered, his face turning bright red as he tried looking around the room to avoid Kuroo’s eye.

“What a relief! I really like you as well, Sawamura,” Kuroo purred as he pressed his green button to retract his helmet. He grazed his fingers against his cheek and gently pulled his face forward to face him. Sawamura’s cheeks were still red, but he smiled back up at him with his cute dimples showing. Kuroo chuckled and poked them with his fingers before leaning forward and kissing the pout off his lips. “Come on. Let’s check out the view of that ocean and get some kissing in before Shoyou gets back.”

“You really do have the best ideas… except about locking our friends in the closet.”

“One of these days, Sawamura, you’re going to be the one to suggest we try that.”

Sawamura chuckled as he leaned against the sliding glass door, gazing out at the darkening sky over the vast expanse of ocean beyond. Kuroo soaked in the view as well but quickly turned his gaze to Sawamura instead. The space ranger smiled deepened, sensing Kuroo’s eyes on him. Instead of meeting his gaze, Sawamura released his hand and wrapped his arm around Kuroo’s waist instead, pulling him into his side.

Kuroo sighed happily, slipping his arm around Sawamura’s shoulders and nuzzling into his soft, dark hair. Further back in the room, he could hear gentle conversation as Oikawa and Michimiya gave each other a chance. Occasionally, Oikawa would gripe about something, but Michimiya’s giggle following it told Kuroo they were just fine. He felt silly for getting so jealous, but how could he help it? He would never have imagined loving another toy as much as he did Sawamura, and he knew would love him to Eternity, and further.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Confession: I had to stop writing during the Dateko scene because I was wheezing with laughter.  
> I'm going to try and keep this one as innocent as possible, since they're like... toys, ha ha ha.


End file.
